Sucky driver pawnage

[CTB]

My husband has a used cop car. Yes it is still black and white until we can get it painted. He has a 45 minute drive to work every night all interstate. He tells me tons of stories about people not paying attention until they see his car and slowing down really fast. He gets tailgated all the time because people are afraid to pass him. They don't notice that there are no lightbars or decals on the car. I told him he should get NOTACOP as his license plates.

[powerboy]

I overtook a cop this morning.

Following a slow moving car I pulled out a little for a look, "oh, it's a cop ahead". That's why we're going so slow. Can't be seen to go anywhere near the speed limit when a cop's around, you know. So I stuck behind them till the passing lane, then passed them both.

No idea why the cop was going a few k' under the limit, but it really does peeve me off that other drivers seem to think a cop anywhere on the road means a mandated 10kph under the speed limit or else.

Know your speed peeps - if the conditions are clear, it's perfectly legal to do the limit.

Oh, how I hate that. Or if someone is pulled over on the side of the road, then every one has to go about 5 miles an hr.

Sounds like some rice got cooked, and boy did he get steamed!

[JustADude]

They don't notice that there are no lightbars or decals on the car. I told him he should get NOTACOP as his license plates.

Yeah, but they have unmarked cars... around here at least... that are basically that way, and "NOTACOP" would make them sure he was a cop. After all, only a cop would feel the need to proclaim he was not, in fact, a cop doncherknow.

[crazylegs]

For the people who are talking about Police cars..

(tales from the other side)

Every now and again I get the pleasure of driving a marked vehicle down a shortish (three junctions) stretch of motorway, I'm no idiot, I know that pretty much whatever speed I'm driving at people won't pass me so I normally go slightly over the limit to keep the flow of the traffic moving.

What I do enjoy seeing is the idiot in the Audi/BMW who is tanking down the outside lane who then spots the light bar on the roof. A very serious drop in the height of the front bumper in relation to the tarmac then ensues!

No bugger will tailgate either!

[Pagan]

I was making my over to Sam's Club one Sunday morning right when they opened at 10am (and it's still already crowded at that time, which I don't get). I got to the stop sign at the end of my street and noticed some yahoo in a truck come up really quick behind me. I made my turn and was heading for the light (to make a right) about 50 feet away. I can see the light from the corner, it was green, but when I was about 3/4 of the way there, it turn yellow. So I stopped. (How dare I!) Mr. Truck was upset by this. He apparently wanted to turn right, too. Even if he hadn't been crawling my tailpipe, I never would have known since his truck didn't come equipped with turn signals. He was following so closely behind me that he had to swerve to the left (the lane is pretty wide there) and then went screaming around me, not looking and with traffic already in the intersection. Luckily, they were on their toes and got stopped in time. Then we all sat there and looked at each other for a moment, shaking our heads.

[PepperElf]

one thing i really hate... people who drive like idiots and ... when they get in an accident it's all about how "omg they're going to kill me" or "noooo i dont need this right now!"

Mom encountered one of them, a woman who did just that... ran a light, caused an accident, got a ticket from the cop. "I don't need this right now!"

Mom called out, "Well you shouldn't have run the light!" She glared at Mom... how dare someone point out that it was all her fault to begin with.


Personally, I like to brake-check tailgaters.

[blas]

As soon as my car is done for good, I'm going to one of those police auctions and buying an old cop car. No, I don't really have a use for a gas guzzling V8 Crown Vic...

But the paranoia I'd get from everyone whilst driving around would be worth every penny. Especially at night when they can't see that I'm a little girl....

Last night, my guy and I were rolling around in his Trans Am. Going a little over the speed limit, headed back into town.

All of a sudden, this little black VW Bug starts flashing its brights and honking its horn and swerving behind him.

They finally whizz past us, going about 80 mph. I saw about 6 ponytails swinging in the breeze.....stupid little girls.

We get to his friends' house. Another friend soon joins, and says "Dude, on the way here, I got tailgated by this piece of shit Bug full of stupid girls! They finally went around me, going like 80, and nearly crashed into a dump truck when they got back into town and had to slam the brakes really hard!"

We were thinking too bad they didn't learn a lesson. And where were the cops?!

[Pagan]

Personally, I like to brake-check tailgaters.

Isn't that fun??! I scared the crap out of someone coming down Alameda the other day.

I really need to call 311 and see who to call about getting a speed-trap or two set up. The speed limit on one stretch is 35mph and most people are doing about 45mph....or more.

[Samaliel]

Yeah, but they have unmarked cars... around here at least... that are basically that way, and "NOTACOP" would make them sure he was a cop. After all, only a cop would feel the need to proclaim he was not, in fact, a cop doncherknow.

I don't think so. Unmarked car are cars that don't look like police cars. A police car without light bar and decal wouldn't quite fit the part. But it could be used as a decoy in a clever misdirection setup : look at the shiny "NOTACOP" car ! But did you see the really inconspicuous unmarked car ?

[Becks]

All of a sudden, this little black VW Bug starts flashing its brights and honking its horn and swerving behind him.

They finally whizz past us, going about 80 mph. I saw about 6 ponytails swinging in the breeze.....stupid little girls.

Six people in one of those? I didn't know it was possible.

It was a bitch having three people in the Geo Metro.

[blas]

Meh, I've had 5 in the Neon. It wasn't fun for anyone.....

And trust me, barely anyone follows their probationary driver's license restrictions. I'll bet you anything they truly were just a bunch of little 16 year old girls, one probably just got her license, now that mommy and daddy aren't around to watch, let's see how fast this car can go! Get out of the way you slow person, you! Honk honk!

[Daskinor]

that's why I am scared of any brand new neon's on the road. The tend to be the daddy's little girl car. And from what I seen a nice car for there daughter is priority over making sure they know how to drive. Luckily they tend to just bounce into things, you know trying to drive, use an ipod and text their friends at the same time.


The guys on the other hand are a whole another story.

[Pagan]

I don't think so. Unmarked car are cars that don't look like police cars. A police car without light bar and decal wouldn't quite fit the part. But it could be used as a decoy in a clever misdirection setup : look at the shiny "NOTACOP" car ! But did you see the really inconspicuous unmarked car ?

Not around here they're not. The unmarked police cars are exactly like the regular units. Crown Vics, just white and minus the light bar. You can spot 'em a mile off.

Although I think the county mounties have some new 'Stangs, but they're not unmarked.

[MMATM]

The University PD just got some new Chargers this year for unmarked cars, but you can still spot them a mile off because they have spotlights mounted on the drivers' mirrors. And because once you've seen a Charger pull someone over, ALL similarly-designed vehicles become cops.

On a related note, my grandfather's car is a Crown Vic, light blue (and thus "inconspicuous"), and is absolutely terrifying to nearly everyone on the road. Which is good, because my grandfather isn't a particularly attentive driver and it helps that everyone keeps their distance.

As for tailgating, I'm not a fan. I don't brake check people because A) my insurance rate can and will go up for "failing to use caution while stopping and starting" if I get in an accident, even if I'm rear-ended and am not at fault, B) my car is a gift from my parents (who still own the title and insurance), is less than a year old and I don't feel like replacing it or putting my parents through the hassle of repairing it, and C) because brake lights are too obvious - air resistance slows cars like mine down quite fast and you can usually get well below the limit before the numbnut tail notices.

[JLRodgers]

Not around here they're not. The unmarked police cars are exactly like the regular units. Crown Vics, just white and minus the light bar. You can spot 'em a mile off.

Although I think the county mounties have some new 'Stangs, but they're not unmarked.

My engine caught fire once (somehow locked the gas fully open couldn't slow down well -- fortunately it burnt through the gas line and the car died -- had to put the fire out with water from a ditch). Stupid cop pulled me over in an "unmarked" car* and said something to the effect of "bet you wouldn't of been speeding if you knew I was a cop!" (this as flames and smoke was pouring out from under the hood -- he then said "what smoke" as he was hacking up a lung from it).

When he came back with the ticket I said "I knew you were a cop." He asked how, I said, "let's see. A car with illegally tinted windows so you can't see inside, 10 antennas all over the car, with two pulled from the trunk and attached to the hood, a lightbar clearly visible in the windows as there's no tinting there -- in a mustang, with two normal spotlights on the mirrors, and a bigger one on the [can't remember] side.... parked on the side of the road illegally blocking a driveway -- wouldn't have a clue what would've given it away."

Officer wasn't happy -- didn't even show up to the trial when I went because of the stupid ticket (had proof that I didn't have a choice, backed by the place the car was being taken - in addition to the tow truck that the office had to call, and his own partner! They got rid of the tinting a few weeks later.